The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

 Christopher knows a lot of things: every prime number up to 7,057, every world capital, that he detests the colour yellow.  What he doesn't understand includes human emotion and why anyone would want to kill his neighbour's dog, Wellington.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time recounts Christopher's efforts to solve the murder of Wellington, but as he digs deeper into the mystery he finds his own life unravelling too.

At first, I was a little bit hesitant.  Since the novel is written in first-person from the point of view of someone who is not neurotypical, I was worried that the novel would be full of gross over-generalizations about people with Asperger's Syndrome.  I'm not an expert, and I won't pretend to be, but in the end I do feel that Haddon has presented the reader with a fully realized character who, while deeply affected by his condition, is not defined by it. I felt that Christopher is a relatable character to any reader.

Additionally, I love the complexity of relationships that Haddon portrays.  Christopher's father at first appears patient and ever-sacrificing but we soon learn that there is frustration and anger behind the façade as years of being a single dad take their toll.  

I loved being along for the ride of solving the murder and learning about Christopher's life along with him.  My heart ached for the boy as he tried to find his new place in the world, and I found myself rooting for him despite going in to the reading with a pessimistic outlook.

I believe that this is a book that will stick with me for years and I am glad I finally took the time to read it.  I give this one 4/5 stars!